Brought together by the convergence of technology and
creativity, immersive storytelling gives an audience a true feeling of being
there. It’s an opportunity to become lost in a different world, whether that’s through
3D gaming, VR or augmented reality. Immersive storytelling really opens up new
ways of thinking and a unique sense of entertainment is formed.

Our joint programme with Lighthouse, Reframed brings
together leaders and innovators from a cross-sectoral field. From: film, games,
sounds, arts and media. It’s a true opportunity for passionate creatives to
explore emerging practices within immersive and interactive storytelling. Below
are some examples of immersive storytelling to give you a little taste of this
highly interactive realm.

Hammerhead VR

A proclaimed immersive entertainment studio; Hammerhead VR
are leaders in virtual reality as they create exceptional cinematic quality
content. Their recent game Syren is a VR survival horror game, that see’s the
user find themselves in a lost ancient city where an obsessed scientist
conducts horrific experiments to recreate the lost species of the Syrens.

Hammerhead VR were named in our 2017 Future Leaders and CE50. Hammerhead also Exhibited in our Nexus Zone at CE Live 2017, which was a celebration of creativity and technology.

104 films / Archers Mark (Notes on Blindness)

Recent work Notes on Blindness, follows one man’s audio
notes surrounding his attempt to come to terms with blindness. Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness is not only
a feature film, but includes a VR experience in which the audience can step
into John’s immersive world based on his sensory and psychological experience
of blindness.

104 Films were named
as a
CE50Future Leader, and their acclaimed Notes on Blindness was nominated
for 3 Baftas (2017) and is available to watch on Netflix.

Strange Thoughts

Strange Thoughts deliver amazing tech-led creative for bold
brands and marketers; they create immersive worlds and experiences for brands.
They have created immersive experiences such as: geo-listening experiences, LED
Hoops for musical performances, livestreams to experience different places and
cultures. See below an example of their work at Field Day festival, where they
produced a ground breaking body scanning 360 dome. The dome recreated the movement
of particles and atoms when you dance, bringing together an immersive
experience of the self; telling the story of your own atoms and particles.

Strange Thoughts were
named as a
CE50Future Leader, they also gave us the pleasure of having Homer (their
beer pouring robot) at CE Live 2017.

After the Storm

A popular example of immersive storytelling is an audio and
visual story with a letter describing one person’s experience
of life after a destructive storm hit their town; offering comfort,
instructions and a distraction. The immersive content allows the audience to take a
scroll through their experience, including: newspaper clippings, news video
clips, photos and more.

Leeds Digital / Leeds International Festivals

This month the city of Leeds welcomes two festivals that
celebrate the arts and creativity, within these are many examples of immersive
storytelling. Taking a look into everything from: games, health, film, women in
tech, VR, fashion and more.

Take a look
below at their respective programmes for more information.